The Headmaster stood tall, his robe billowing in an invisible wind. His eyes glowed a deep, otherworldly purple, and a dark aura of black and violet mana swirled around him like a storm barely contained.
"Your first task," he announced, voice echoing with quiet authority, "is to defeat and capture a beast from the Emerald Forest."
Murmurs erupted again, but they were quickly silenced as the pressure of his mana increased.
"This trial will test your control, power, and competence. We do not enroll fools. And remember…"
His glowing gaze swept across the crowd, pausing briefly on the noble children, then the commoners.
"In my eyes, nobles and commoners are the same. Future tools of the kingdom. The only thing that separates you is your usefulness."
His voice cut deep, like a cold blade.
"Don't disappoint me."
Then, with the casual flick of his wrist, he pulled a small object from within his robe a glass orb no larger than an apple. It shimmered with faint starlight, encased by a golden dragon spiraling around its surface.
Without a word, he tossed it lazily to the ground in front of the stage.
The orb shattered on impact.
In an instant, the stone floor beneath the students fractured like glass, then dissolved into cosmic particles, revealing a swirling portal of stars and stardust.
Before anyone could scream or react, they were all pulled in.
Mark felt his stomach twist as his body was swallowed by the portal, his vision spinning into a vortex of light and color. A moment later, his boots hit solid ground.
He landed on a patch of mossy earth, surrounded by towering trees covered in glowing vines. Strange bird calls echoed in the distance, and the wind carried the heavy scent of magical beasts.
A glowing inscription floated before him in the air like a hologram:
[ You have entered the Emerald Forest a territory home to over 50% of the continent's known monster species. ]
[ Monster difficulty increases the deeper you go. ]
[ You are currently at the outer edge of the forest where D rank monsters roam. ]
[ Reminder: Only students who capture high-ranking monsters will pass. Do not expect to qualify with a D-rank beast. ]
"Figures," Mark muttered. "This is one of those 'go big or go home' trials."
He studied the floating mini-map, noting his location near the western edge. Other dots blinked across the display other students, all scattered across different parts of the forest.
"So I got dropped near the weakest area. Tch… they're testing us right from the start."
He clenched his fists and cracked his knuckles.
"Alright then. Let's see what these monsters can do."
A loud growl echoed from nearby.
Mark's eyes darted toward the sound, already feeling adrenaline spike in his veins. Training under Rosemary had taught him to react instantly. He dropped into a defensive stance, mana beginning to swirl around his palm.
He wouldn't waste time hunting D-ranks.
If he wanted to pass and stand out he had to go deeper.
Into the heart of the forest.
A growl broke the forest silence.
A white furred wolf leapt from the underbrush, snarling as it bared its fangs.
Before it could even land, Mark calmly traced his finger through the air. Mana surged.
A blade of water formed mid-air and slashed through the wolf's neck in a single, precise arc.
Shlick.
The beast's head hit the ground with a dull thud. Its body crumpled shortly after.
Mark scoffed and muttered, "That thing was just a D-rank. Weak."
With a leap, he sprang into the trees, hopping from branch to branch. His movement was swift, his figure nothing more than a blur overhead as he avoided unnecessary fights with low rank monsters.
Below, he passed students struggling with C rank creatures groaning, shouting, fighting for their lives.
Mark watched them with a frown.
"You've had years of training from magic tutors… and you're struggling with C-ranks? Either you're lazy, or someone pampered you too much. I've had four weeks of hellish training, and I'm already passing you?"
He didn't stop.
The map in his mind glowed brighter as he neared the deeper zone the border of the A rank territory.
That's when he heard it.
"Help! Help! Please!"
A girl's scream tore through the air, raw and desperate.
Mark's eyes narrowed as he spotted her a blue haired girl, her messy bun tangled with leaves, lying bruised and bloody in the dirt. A monstrous beast loomed over her, its massive body a mix of white and black stripes. It looked like a tiger, but its tail was a coiled serpent, hissing as it lunged toward her.
The girl's clothes were torn, her hands trembling as she cried out.
The worst part?
The other students nearby were running away, using her as bait.
"Damn cowards," Mark muttered.
His brain screamed at him to ignore it, to press on and find a beast of his own to capture. But…
"I can't leave her. That'd leave a bad taste in my mouth."
"Damn it!"
He turned and dashed in, leaping down like a missile.
BOOM!
Mark's kick connected with the beast's side, sending it crashing into a tree, shaking the ground.
The tiger serpent hybrid snarled as it staggered up from the dust, its eyes now locked on Mark.
"Burn in hell, you damn distraction," he spat.
Flames erupted in his palms.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A barrage of fireballs engulfed the beast in seconds. It howled and flailed but it was no match.
It collapsed into ash.
Silence.
Then murmurs.
"Who was that?"
"Did you see that?"
"Was that… a noble?"
"I've never seen him before."
The students nearby were stunned. Some were in awe. Others in fear.
But the girl lying on the ground… she looked up at Mark as if he were a knight from a fairy tale.
Her heart skipped a beat.
"W-Wait… what's your name?" she asked, reaching out a trembling hand toward him.
But he was already gone.
Mark vanished into the trees before she could touch him nothing left but a memory and the trail of scorched earth behind him.
"Wait! Don't go… Who was that guy?" she whispered.
Back in the viewing area, the spectators were buzzing.
Rose smirked confidently, arms folded. "That's my masterpiece."
The Head Priest gave a slow nod, pleased. "You've outdone yourself, Rose."
"I told you, didn't I?" she said smugly. "This brat's going after an S-rank. That cocky bastard is gonna make me feel like a proud mom."
Meanwhile, Lira nervously clutched her hands in prayer. "Please come back safe, Mark…"
Back in the forest
Mark had already pushed into the S-rank zone.
The trees were different here twisted, dark, humming with violent mana. The air was heavier.
Suddenly whistle!
A spiked iron ball flew at him like a cannon shot.
He barely dodged, diving behind a tree. Bark exploded into shrapnel.
"The hell?! Was that a trap?"
A voice echoed from the shadows—snide, venomous.
"Come out, peasant."
Mark peeked through the leaves and his expression soured.
Red hair. Golden armor. Expensive adventurer gear.
"Lora Valentine…"
She stood with a smug smirk, her hand resting on a weapon glowing with runes.
"I know it's you," she spat. "That trash from the Eclipse Ceremony. You think you belong at the Knights Academy just because of that dumb dragon core?"
She sneered.
"Go back to your slums. Nobles like me were born for this life. You're just playing pretend."
Mark rolled his eyes.
"I don't have time for your temper tantrum, little girl," he shouted back.
Lora's face turned red with rage. "LITTLE GIRL?!"
With a roar, she hurled another spiked ball at him, larger than before. It crashed into the ground, splintering trees in its path.
Mark dodged again, choosing not to retaliate.
From the viewing area, the Head Priest banged the railing.
"End her and go capture a beast! Time is running out!"
Mark narrowed his eyes, lips pressed tight in annoyance.
"I don't have time for this…"
With a wave of his hand, he manipulated the surrounding moisture. Water gathered mid-air, forming into a swirling orb. The moment it solidified, it lunged toward Lora and encased her in a bubble prison floating, pressurized water trapping her limbs.
But Lora Valentine only grinned.
"Iron Blood: Impale."
CLANG!
In an instant, iron spikes exploded from her body, shattering the water bubble with brutal force. The shards fell around her like rain.
Mark clicked his tongue. "Damn it…"
He spun, preparing to escape but Lora raised her hand, blood red mana swirling.
"I'm not done with you !"
SKREEEEEE!!
A sudden roar of flame ripped through the forest.
A giant bird wings aflame, body glowing like a newborn star slammed into Lora from behind, hurling her like a ragdoll through a dozen trees.
She disappeared in a crash of broken branches and dirt.
Everyone in the viewing area stood up in shock.
Mark's heart stopped for a second.
"A… Phoenix?!"
Towering before him was a beast wreathed in pure flame, its eyes burning like molten gold. Feathers shimmered with flickering embers. Even the air around it bent from the intense heat.
"An SS-Rank beast?" he muttered, backing away instinctively. "What the hell is it doing here?"
He was supposed to hunt an S-rank.
This was something else entirely.
From the stands, Rose grinned ear to ear, slamming her fist into the railing.
"This kid is insane! HAHA! He truly is my masterpiece!"
The Head Priest didn't share her excitement. His face tightened.
"This isn't good. If that Phoenix kills him… we lose a valuable weapon…"
But the test couldn't be stopped now.
Meanwhile, in a towering castle far from the forest…
The Headmaster sat silently at his desk, watching a projection crystal hovering above him. His fingers steepled under his chin as he watched the boy face the phoenix.
"Where… did that Phoenix come from?" he whispered.
But more importantly
"Who is that boy?"
The magic surrounding the youth was nothing special. His core was underdeveloped. His mana unstable. Yet here he stood… unflinching before a divine beast.
"If he dies, he was a fool," the Headmaster said coldly. Then smirked.
"But if he lives…"
His eyes gleamed.
"He'll be the perfect weapon for this kingdom."
Back in the forest
Mark stared at the Phoenix. The creature opened its wings, a solar flare erupting from its body and igniting the trees around them.
There was no way out.
Mark's eyes narrowed. The sweat on his brow wasn't just from the heat.
But he didn't back down.
"This is it…"
His mana surged.
"Water Magic: Hydra Typhoon!"
CRACK BOOOOM!
Water erupted from the earth, spiraling upward until it took the form of a three headed hydra each head roaring as it twisted in the air behind him. The pressure of the spell cracked the ground beneath his feet.
Mark took a battle stance.
"You're just the kind of trial I needed."
The Phoenix let out a soul-shaking cry, its entire body bursting into blue fire as it soared high above the trees.
One student watching from a distance fell to his knees.
"What kind of monster is that…?"
Another whispered, "He summoned a hydra… who even is this guy?"
The wind, the fire, the water everything collided in a single clearing, setting the stage for a clash that would burn itself into the academy's history.